Homeschool Edition
Making the Journey the Destination
By Guest Blogger on July 14th, 2015
This is the third post in a series by the Cooney family about their world travels, made possible by the flexible learning offered at FLVS.
“There once was a man who became unstuck in the world. He realized that he was not his car, he realized that he was not his job, he was not his phone, his desk or his shoes. Like a boat cut from its anchor, he’d begin to drift. He took the wind for a map, he took the sky for a clock, and he set off with no destination. He was never lost.” – Castles in the Sky
Seeing the world will change your life.
There is simply no way around it. Once you take the first step in your journey to understand a new culture, learn a different language, climb a higher mountain, or sail across a deeper sea, you will never be the same. Continue reading
Preparing for College: Start Early, Be Consistent, Finish Strong
By Amy LaGrasta on July 3rd, 2015
Many students fall into the trap of thinking college is something they need to start considering their senior year.
Students who wait until then, however, will be much more than a day late and a dollar short (more like four years too late and thousands of dollars short).
The fact is the time to start thinking about college is when you are selecting your freshman courses. It can be argued that it begins much earlier than this even – through the development of soft skills like time management, study habits, and a growth mindset for example, but that is a different post. Continue reading
Win a Family Getaway to Kennedy Space Center!
By Florida Virtual School on June 30th, 2015
There’s still time to enter our summer video contest – and win an awesome new prize!
Share a video of you learning a new skill by July 31 and you could be the lucky winner of a family getaway to Kennedy Space Center!
View all of the contest details here.
Did you know that NASA specifically seeks individuals who have a history of struggle and failures when searching for astronauts and engineers? Those who have bounced back and grown from their mistakes bring with them a unique set of strengths over those with straightforward success stories. Continue reading
FLVS Brain Challenge: Week 1
By Florida Virtual School on June 26th, 2015
It’s been a great first week for the FLVS Brain Challenge!
This week’s top contender is @jozh_legit who comes to us from Instagram with some crazy bike tricks. It’s obvious that he’s been making progress in learning some new moves this summer. Search for #FLVSBrainChallenge to see for yourself!
Think you can show us something even crazier? You could be our next big featured participant – or even our final winner! All you need to do is share a video of you learning something new on Vine or Instagram.
Learn more about our contest and how to enter here. Continue reading
Service Learning
By Dr. Jeanne Giardino on June 24th, 2015
“Volunteers are not paid—not because they are worthless, but because they are priceless.”
Do you volunteer or did you when you were young?
Do you remember who Candy Stripers were? They were hospital volunteers. Working as a Candy Striper was my first experience volunteering and it taught me real-world experiences that helped shape my future.
I volunteered each Sunday from 12 – 4 p.m. at Pembroke Pines Hospital in South Florida. There were many rules and the expectations for the teen volunteers were high, dauntingly so. We received intensive training that resembled that of a NASA Astronaut. Continue reading
Join the FLVS Summer Brain Challenge!
By Guest Blogger on June 12th, 2015
Did you know your brain is constantly forming new neural connections?
Scientists have made amazing discoveries about the way our brain cells grow and form new circuits – even into adulthood. The trick to that growth is keeping them engaged by exploring new challenges and concepts.
This summer, we are challenging all of our students and their family and friends to show us what new connections your brain can make!
We’re hosting a video contest on social media asking you to show us your skills. All you have to do is share a short video of you learning something crazy and cool like this. Continue reading
Traveling the World with Family: A Mom’s Perspective
By Guest Blogger on June 5th, 2015
This is the second post in a series by the Cooney family about their world travels, made possible by the flexible learning offered at FLVS.
When Mike and I decided to take off for a year to travel the world with our three teenage sons, the decision was the easy part.
Walking away from the life we currently knew was the difficult part. After we made the decision in 2005, we went into planning mode. We all had our respective roles.
In between running an online business, homeschooling our three sons through Florida Virtual School, and carting them to various activities, I spent copious hours researching travel websites and books, creating a budget, and finding places where we could immerse ourselves in the culture. What we all discovered is that planning is definitely necessary, however, it is also equally important to have a plan B, C, or D. An even better option is to learn to go with the flow! Continue reading
Don’t Procrastinate, Motivate!
By Amy LaGrasta on May 26th, 2015
Motivation is literally a desire to do things.
It is crucial to attaining goals.
Motivation is the difference between getting up and doing something or being a couch potato all day.
Whether you want to motivate yourself, colleagues, classmates, or children…here are some proven methods to improve your motivation and to motivate those around you. From setting goals to persevering through difficult challenges, these tips will help you accomplish all kinds of great things!
National Physical Fitness and Sports Month
By Guest Blogger on May 20th, 2015
FLVS Physical Education students may be who you think will be playing hard this month, but this is a call to action for all students, friends, and families.
As you’ll quickly see, National Physical Fitness and Sports Month is not just for PE students, it’s for everyone!
Read on…
But don’t expect to be here too long because soon it will be time to get going and leave your screen behind. Continue reading
Social Media Use Could Come With A Price!
By Amy LaGrasta on May 15th, 2015
Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Vine, Instagram, and Pinterest are all ways teens stay connected.
Social media allows us to connect with those near and far and opens doors to a variety of opportunities. According to the Pew Research Internet Project, 73 percent of Americans use social networking sites as of September 2013. Pew Research also shows that 95 percent of all teens ages 12-17 are now online.
While connecting and expressing one’s self on a global scale may be something we’re all entitled to, exercise caution. Posting inappropriate, vulgar, or disrespectful content comes with a price. Not only can you lose your admission to college and/or your scholarship, but you could also lose your job. Continue reading